Bittersweet Reunion
by Beat of a Butterfly's Wings
Summary: Utakata has a few words to say to Naruko. Utakata/fem! Naruto if you squint.


She was surprised when his intangible form appeared while she was sitting on the Yondaime's head on the Hokage Monument, so much she jumped. But she refused to look at him.

His eyes followed her gaze to the crater Konohagakure was now. "You're village doesn't appear to be doing well,"he remarked.

She was blunt. "You're dead,"she said flatly, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. Her expression was twisted in pain and much grief, so much regret, and shame.

He shifted his gaze to her. "Yes,"he said simply. He paused for a second. "But you're still alive. That's something good, at least."

"Good?!"she hissed, and she whirled around to face him, and he suddenly realized that she was _crying_. "Good?! Utakata, you're dead!" Her eyes were wild and flashing back from ocean blue to crimson red, but she took deep breaths, trying to calm down.

Utakata watched on silently. It wasn't like he could offer her any comfort;words would only aggravate her. But she needed the truth, the cold hard truth, even if she probably didn't want to hear it. "I was captured by six men wearing black cloaks with red clouds." He knew the moment she froze in shock and realization flashed in her eyes that she knew who he is talking about. _And what they are after_. "They told me they were after me...or more precisely, the Six-Tailed-Slug that used to be inside me." Naru was shaking. Badly. But her eyes were on him, her mouth falling open and closed, as if to say something, but she didn't interrupt. "And then we fought." He shrugged. "I lost. I tried to flee, but they caught me in a landslide. They extracted the Bijuu from me after that, and the process killed me."

"You...were a Jinchuriki,"she whispered, and suddenly, the grief and the anger seemed to overtake her. "Those..._bastards_." It was said with as much hatred as she could muster. She turned to him. "Why? Why didn't you say something?" She punched the Monument, not even caring that the sudden impact caused her knuckles to bleed. "Why did you go into that forest? You could've lived!"

"I didn't know they were there. I was going to meet with the Kiri Anbu so I could clear my name and take Hotaru on a training trip. I didn't want to run away anymore." He gave her a grim smile. "They were dead, killed by the ones who killed me. We Jinchuriki just seem to have bad luck at the worst of times. As for not telling you about my Jinchuriki status...I wasn't completly sure you were one, but I had my suspicions. You of all people should know that there are many who'd love to get a Jinchuriki under their thumb."

He noticed she doesn't look so angry anymore, not so grief-filled. Her expression was pained and her eyes held sorrow. Naru's eyes had stopped flashing between red and blue, and remained their vibrant, human shade of blue.

"If you had told me..."she murmured. "I could've helped you...we would've helped you. You could have come back to Konoha. We could've protected you."

Utakata grimaced. "It's too late for that. There's no use dwelling on what could have been." He gazed at Naru. "I've come here to warn you."

"Warn me...? About what?"

"The remaining members of the Akatsuki will come after you sooner or later. They'll know you managed to defeat Pein, and will probably take precautions when they finally decide to try and capture you. They could have more than a few backup plans up their sleeves, and when they come for you, they'll be ready."

The confusion on Naru's tear-streaked face showed. "But my friends and I could probably defeat the remaining members together. We've done it before when Team Kakashi teamed up with Team 10 and took down the Zombie Duo of the Akatsuki. I don't think there'll be anyone stronger than Pein in the Akatsuki, so-"

"You're underestimating them,"he cut her off. "That can get you killed, Naru." There were traces of what sounded almost like concern in his voice.

Naru bit her lip, before frowning as she took a closer look at Utakata. He seemed...tired, almost.

"Naru, extraction is...painful. I would not wish it upon you."

There was something ominous about his words, and Naru shivered.

Utakata's gaze left hers, and he took a few steps back.

"I didn't want friends before I met you. I thought I could only rely on myself. But, you grew on me a little during our brief time together." He looked at her one last time, and his expression was pained. "Just don't die, Naru. Do everything you can to survive Akatsuki. Promise me."

She grew alarmed, and her right hand shot out, trying, _reaching _for his own, but it passed right through him. "No, don't leave!" She tried again. "Please..."

But he was already gone.


End file.
